Sign-board.



No. 664,87I. Patented Ian. 19m. 0. H. KEYSER.

SIGN BOARD.

(Appiicatinn filed May 11, 1900.)

(No Model.)

ix a Wzirq E E5 E5 UNITED ST TES ,PATENT OFFICE.

f 'oHARLEsjH. KEYSER, 'onor oAeo, ILLINOIS.

SIGN-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 664,871, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed mg 11, 1900.

To all) whom it may concern: Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. KEYSER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county. of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new. ,and useful Improvement in Sign-Boards, of whichthe fol-- lowing is a fulh'clear, and exact description, reference being had :to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. This invention relates to an improvement in signs ofthat class adapted to be held nor-v mally in a vertical position by means of a weight attached to the lower end thereof and which are .so balanced that they may. rock back and forward with the wind while remainingsnbstantially stationary'with respect to their support.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more fully defined and pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front'eleva, tion of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2, of Fig. 1. lfig. 3 is a section taken-on line 3 3 of Fig. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of one form of my device. 1 I As shown in said drawings, A indicates a weight bf cast meta l,,hei -'ein'shown as having the form of one of the halves of a sphere orball divided in a plane passing through the center and provided with a rod a, extendingthcrethrough parallel with said plane surface and provided on one end with a head in a familiar manner and having at the other end a screw-thread adapted to receive a comple mental nut a. A groove (L2 is provided parallel with said rod and extending diametrically across the-plane surface of said half-ball and adapted to receive a part of the lower ends of the sign-boards B B, herein shown as consisting of two or more boards of any desired matcrial, preferably. uniting at their meeting! edges with tongue-and-grooved joints. Said ho; dz if of'wood are bored transversely to vo the ends of the rod a and are securely m ed thereon by means of a nut a, which, iown, is set in sufliciently deep in the e of said sign-board, as is also the head :to, to present a [iush finish. The up- SerialNo. 16,269. (No model.

by any desired means. As herein shown, a rod 1) is provided, which passes transversely through the tops of said boards and is" pro 5 5 vided on one end with a head and on the other with screw-th reads adapted to receive a complemental nut b in a familiar manner. Said bolt is of such length that-when the same is secured in place, as shown, the head and nut thereof are sunk in the edges of said 'sigm board, as heretofore described with respect to the rod a.

For the purpose of preventingdateral os- "cal position the legs I; b are provided, each B B, respectively, and are of a lengthsufficient for the lower ends thereof to lie in the same piano with the lowermost halfsbail. Obviously said legs mightbe made separately,if preferred, from the boards, and the form of said legs may be varied forornamental efiect. Obviously, too, if'said gsignboards are made of other material than. wood- 7 5 such, for instance, as sheet metal-the same will be seen red to said bolts a'and b bymeans of clips fastened-aroundfsaid bolts and having their ends secured to the board. The

brazing, or like means. The groove are of Isufficient depth-and width thatwhen 'the' lower cut. edges; of the ,boardsmrefdriven thereinthe side walls of said .groovesfirmly iclamp said boards and act to moval of thesame therefrom. a I The operation of, my device is, as follows: -'The device,provided,witl1 an appropriatesign upon the board may be placed upon a Qsiilewalk .or another suitable place, prefer 9o "ably where therewill bee. slight draft of air. i The action of the breeze will. cause said sign to rock back and forth, thereby more quickly attracting the eye of the passcr-by. Owing to the fact that the weight A is a half-ball 5 the board may at times have a slight nodding movement laterally when inclined from its upright position. This slighteccentricity of movement, while not sufficient to permit the upon the walk, is a movement not possible with other signs of the class and unavoidably attracts attention. Obviously from the shape per ends of said boards are secured together of the weight A the board may be placed incillation of the sign-board when in its verti- 65.

of which is integral with one of the boards 1 point of said same may be secured thereto by soldering, 8o

prevent the *nedisplacement of the sign from the position roo as shown in Fig. 4:. This operates to prevent.

' stronger drafts of air, with the result that.

any desired position and when released will return to its upright or vertical position. the purpose of limiting said lateral movement somewhat the half-ball may be provided with a flattened or short cylindric central portion,

lateral movement except under the elfect of such movements being-other than the usual and coming at uncertain intervals aid in attracting attention.

I claim as my invention- 1. A sign-board comprising a board of any desired material providedat its base with a half-ball rigidly secured thereto and adapted to movably support the same and means acting to prevent lateral oscillation of the signboard when in a vertical position.

2. Amovable sign-board comprising a halfball having a plane side provided with a groove extending diametricallyacross the same, a board of any desired material rigidly secured in said groove, means for permitting said sign to oscillate backwardly and forwardly and means acting to retain the same from lateral oscillation when in its vertical position.

3. In a sign-board, the combination with-a sign-board of a half-ball rigidly secured to the'lower margin of the same, and having the curved surface thereof adapted for contact.

with the ground, said sign-board being wider than the diameter of said ball and provided on one side thereof with a leg adapted for contact with the ground when the sign-board is in a vertical position.

4. In a sign-board, a half-ball having one plane surface and provided with a diamet projecting parts being secured to said rod ends, the upper ends of said boards being permanently secured together, and means acting to prevent the lateral oscillation of said board when in its vertical position, comprising a leg on one side thereof extending downwardly in position to engage the ground.

For

5. In a sign-board, a'half-ball having one plane surface and provided with a diametrical groove, a rod of metal rigidly secured in said half-ball parallel with said groove and beneath the same the ends thereof projecting boards having their end portions secured in" said groove and projecting laterally on each side of said half-ball said laterally-projecting parts being secured to said rod ends, the ups on each side of the half-ball, a plurality of V i per ends ofsaid boards being permanently f secured togetherand a leg on each side of said 1 half-ball integral with said board andextending downwardly .to engage the ground when said board is in a vertical pfisition.

6. In a sign-board, a halt ball having a plane surface and provided with a diametricgroove, a rod of metal rigidly secured in said half-ball parallel with said groove and beneath the groove and projecting laterally on'each side :same, the end portion-thereof projecting on;- each'side of the half-ball, a plurality of boards having their end portions secured-in said. .75

of said half-ball, said laterally-projecting parts being secured to said rod ends, the upper ends of said boards being permanently; Q secured togetherandaleg on each side ofsaid" 18o half-ball integral with said board and extend ing downwardly to engage the ground when said board is in a vertical position, said half-l f ball being provided with a relatively short central semicylindric portion adaptednormally for contact wit-h the ground.

7. An article of manufacture comprising s1 half-ball of metal or the like having a plane" surface in the plane of adiameter, a groove extending diametrically across'the same an a rod of metal rigidly secured in said half-ball" having its ends projecting outwardly therefrom, said rod being parallel with said groove and beneath the same and provided on one end with a head on the opposite end thereof with screw-threads adapted to receive a com; plemental nut.

In testimony whereof I have subscribed my" name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnpssesahis 9th day of May,

In presence of- CHARLES W. HILLS.. Lou-Is J DELsoN'.

CHARLES Hu-KEYSER. 

